Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring in the Field of Psychology and Law

Every year The American Psychology-Law Society confers two awards for Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring in the Field of Psychology and Law to recognize teaching excellence in a variety of contexts: Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring Award and the Early Career Teaching and Mentoring Award. The winner of the awards will be announced at the annual meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society.

In even-numbered years (e.g., 2016, 2018), the award will be given to a teacher/mentor from a program/department that is undergraduate-only or MA-terminus (category 1).

In odd-numbered years (e.g., 2015, 2017), the award will be given to a teacher/mentor from a program/department that is doctoral-granting or postdoctoral granting; including law schools, medical schools, and non-university positions such as hospitals, clinics or other organizations. The primary requirement is that the recipient have taught/mentored graduate and/or postdoctoral students (category 2).

Eligibility

Nominees should be persons who have made substantial contributions to student training in the field of psychology and law.

To be eligible for the Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring Award, an individual must have held a PhD or JD degree for at least eight years, and must have been teaching and/or mentoring students in psychology and law for at least eight years.

To be eligible for the Early Career Teaching and Mentoring Award, an individual must have held a PhD or JD degree for seven years or less year, and must have been teaching and/or mentoring students in psychology and law for seven years or less (i.e., AP-LS Early Career Professionals).

Nominees cannot apply for both awards. Those who obtained their degree eight years or more from the application year are only eligible for the Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring Award and those who obtained their degree seven years or less are only eligible for the Early Career Teaching and Mentoring Award.

How to Apply

The nomination package should be emailed directly to the chair of the award committee (listed below). The nomination package must be no more than 15 total pages and should include the following:

Nominee’s statement (1-2 pages) of teaching/mentoring philosophy, goals and accomplishments, especially as related to the field of psychology and law. Please state which award you are applying for (Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring Award or the Early Career Teaching and Mentoring Award) and how you meet the criteria for that award.

Abbreviated curriculum vitae (3 pages maximum).

Summarized student evaluations (student evaluations should be recent and include at least three years).

At least one, but no more than three, supporting letters from peer reviewers or students.

Other relevant documentation such as descriptions of current and past student achievements; mentoring in one-on-one teaching contexts (e.g., advising, clinical supervision); teaching in the community (e.g., workshops that bring psychology and law to applied audiences); teaching-related committee work or scholarship; development of new curricula, courses, course materials or instructional methods.